I need a new chair. I’m interested in an Aeron or Leap. But man, retail is painful on these things. Nothing doing on Craigslist, and there really hasn’t seemed to be much there in general.
I don’t mind used if it is in good shape, but I’m hesitant to order something like this online, as there seem to be a number disreputable sellers out there.
How do I get an Aeron and keep the cost in the $500 ballpark as opposed to the $1,000 and up ballpark (when considering taxes, shipping, and other all in costs)?
Herman Miller’s bi-annual sale (usually 15% off) should start up in a month or so. You just missed Steelcase’s annual sale. It ended earlier this month.
A few times a year, Herman Miller will have a 15% off sale. This sale is coordinated between all resellers so the prices always match. There should be another one coming up pretty soon.
Also, you can check out any local office liquidator type stores. One near me had used Leaps for $230, but no warranty. As for online, I bought an Embody from SmartFurniture.com and everything went smoothly. They have free shipping, and supposedly have free shipping back to them should you not like the chair.
I ordered a bunch of Leaps for my office. We’re an architecture firm. I called customer service before ordering and just asked the person on the line “can I get a professional discount?” She asked if this was for a project or our own use or what, and I said it was just for our office. An hour or so later she called back and gave me a coupon code for 50% off.
I wonder, however, whether that was because you ordered “a bunch.”
Maybe I’ll give it a shot, but I’ll bet your discount was really for a volume order rather than it being a professional purchase. (That is, if I call them and tell them it is for a professional’s office, but I’m only ordering one, I bet they say, “That’s nice, full price.”
FWIW, Costco is currently offering the Herman Miller Celle for $150 off their price, or $500 for the fully loaded version including delivery. We needed a couple (one for the wife’s office, one for home) to replace some completely craptacular Ikea office chairs (Their “top of the line” chair literally began falling apart about 6 months after purchase - not that this was a huge surprise.) I don’t know how they stack up to the Aeron, but they seem to have all the requisite adjustability which is what I was looking for.
It was definitely a professional discount and not a volume discount. That said, the number probably did have something to do with it as well. “A bunch” in this case only means six, though. Furniture companies all tend to give out discounts to architects and interior designers because it’s good advertising, even if it’s just for your own office.
Being in the industry probably had something to do with it as well. Professional courtesy works both ways, and you guys are in a great position to get them in the door. Still awesome, though. 50%!
Yes, that makes sense as well. I’m not sure they will be as open with other professionals who have less likelihood to place their chairs in client sites. :)
Look at the craigslist for your area. My wife was able to find a very nice new Steelcase for a third the price shipped, and we were able to choose the most lightly used Miller variant out of a giant lot of them for about 150$ cash at a local office liquidator. Course, we got clobbered on the Embody from a retail outlet because she really wanted one now, but you can’t win them all.
